Improved head-rest for railroad-car seats



UNiTED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

' NELSON GATES, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO.

IMPROVED HEAD-REST FOR RAILROAD-CAR SEATS.V

. Specification forming pant of Letters Patent No. 48.270, (lated June 20, 1865.

To all whom it may concemf Be it known that I, NELSON GATES, of Middletown, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, haveinvented anew and Improved Head- Rest for Railroad-Cars, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My'invention relates to the construction of spring head-rests for the use of persons traveling in railroad-cars, and it consists in the. combination and arrangement of an elastic rest or cushion for the head with a device by which the elastic rest orcushion is attached to the back of the car-seats or other part ot the car. The peculiar construction and contemplated modifications thereof will be herein more fully described.

To enable others to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe the same, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification.

Figure I represents a perspective view ot' my head-rest with the cushion detached, the upper part being of Wire. Fig. II represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. III represents a side elevation of the rest without the cushion, made of a plate of spring-steel. Fig.II1I represents an end view of the head-rest as reprcsented in Fig. II, made of springsteel.

The body ot' my new head-rest, as represented in Fig. I, is or maybe made with a base, a a, ofmctal or other material, of a suitable length for the front or back of the head of a person to conveniently rest upon it. In this gure that portion or part b b upon which the cushion will be placed is represented as made otl elastic wire, which is fastened to the four corners ofthe base a at c c, the wires being coiled near their extremities to aord the necessary elasticity to furnish an easy yielding rest for the head of a person when traveling by railroad.

d is the fastening by which the head-rest is secured to the top of the seat. The lip e of fastening d is to be of aproper length to reach beneath"the fillet or strip of wood fastened to the front of the back of the carseat near its top. This fillet is a part of the seat which securesthecushion upon the back of the'car-seat along the top thereof.

The body or frame of my head-rest, as representedin Fig. ILis madeofthinplates otspringsteel; and Fig. Illl represents an end view of this mode of constructing the head-rest ofthe same material. lVhen made of steel plates, as represented in the last-named figures, they may be used with or without a cushion, as a person will find that the mere use ot' a pockethandkerchiefwill serve the purpose ofthe cushion, yet the latter is to be preferred.

Fig. IlI represents a modilied form of the frame or body of my spring head-rest, it being made of but two pieces of material. The fastening d., like the same device in the other figures, maybe of brass or other material7 While the part fis a thin plate of steel. The two are connected by the use of rivets or other means. Vhen my invention is thus formed of spring steel 'I propose to use an elastic web as a cushion, to be secured to the ends of the curved plate f, as represented in dotted lines.

It is obvious that my invention may beembodied in various modifications or structures, by means of which the same results will be attained--as, for example, the fastening may be varied in form, so as to be capable of clasping the back of the carseat, while the base a a. will rest upon the top of the seat-back andthe head of the traveler will rest upon the cushion, his body being inclined forward; or the fastening clasp or hook may be of the form of the blockletter S or hook, (thus f' the upper part of which will hook upon the top edge of the seatback, and the base of the head-rest may beV secured to the top or upper side ofthe bottoni of this hook, whereby the use of my improved headrest will not interfere with or discommode the occupant of the seat to the back of which the head-rest is attached. When thus attached to the seat in front of the user he will assume an inclined position of the body, leaning forfa -ward at an angle of about forty-five degrees,

which will bring his head upon the cushion or elastic webbing shown in Fig. III at m.

It will be readily seen that my device may be easily connected with the back of the same in this case the user would bring the head upon `the cushion by a gentle 0r slight inclination backward. In either case the same result is accomplished.

To meet the wishes or necessities of persons of different sizes or statures, I propose to construct the hook or fastening so as to give a greater or less lateral inclination to the body of the head-restwhen secured tothe seat. This modification is apparent, and Within the scope of ordinary mechanical skill.

Instead ofthe metal clasp or hook fastening itis contemplated by me to suspend my cushion or spring head-rest from another convenient part of the car, whereby the same maybe made a permanent'fixture thereof.

I should regard the use of spiral springs arranged upon the base a a to support the cushion as equivalent to the spring-steel plates, and the entire superstructure may be made of india-rubber supported upon a base of wood7 metal, or other material.

I deem the present improvement in travelers head-rests as a decided advance in this class of devices for the reason of its simplicity, compactness, and consequent convenient portability, and particularly because it combines cheapness of manufacture with durability and unusual comfort to the user. It may be made in an artistic and ornamental manner, so as not to be unsightly or cumbersome when Worn suspended from the button of the users coat or vest.

It will be noticed that in using my improvement the yielding nature of the spring, cushion, or elastic webbing is such as to be considerably depressed by the Weight of the head, and this depressing of the center ofthe web or spring will cause a corresponding inclination of the ends of the head-rest at A A inwardly, whereby sufficient lateral support will be given to the users head .to keep it in position.

Having fully described the manner of constructing and mode of using my improved headrest for railroad-cars, what I claim therein as my invention is- 1. The spring head rest constructed, arranged, and applied to use in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

' 2. The spring head-rest constructed as described, in combination with the fastening by which it may be attached to the car, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have, this 28th day of February, 1865, set my hand. NELSON GATES.

Witnesses GEO. H. HENKEL, H. P. K. PECK. 

